August 2 2004

Crystal Palace

After a cracking European Nations Cup (if you're a Greek), Jamesey was looking forward to some live friendly football

First, congratulations to whoever organises the Palace pre-season games on coming up with an imaginative home fixture with Sporting Lisbon (July 28).

I was keenly looking forward to the match until I discovered two facts - no senior concessions were available and the price of a ticket on the night was £22.

While I appreciate that to bring over a star-studded line-up, like the one that ran out for Sporting, can't be done for peanuts, I strongly feel that £22 for a pre-season friendly is much too high a price and judging by the underwhelming gate of 5800, most fans agreed with me.

The subject of senior (over-60) concessions is not one that will worry the vast majority of HOL members from an age point of view.

But the HOL team has been told by the Palace communications boss that no senior concessions will be available on matchday tickets in the coming season either.

As one who has bought a season ticket for the past 25 years, it doesn't affect me all that much. But it seems a cynical and offensive move that penalises many long-term Palace supporters.

I can almost see Simon Jordan's beaming face now..."we'll cut out the old gits, they'll soon be dead anyway, but keep the junior concessions coz they might come back for years as adults".

Anyhow, I didn't go to the Sporting friendly but well done Palace for snatching a victory against one of Europe's top sides.

Saturday's (July 31) visit to QPR at Loftus Road looked more to my taste and I made the trip - undertaken many times during my long service as a Palace supporter - to Shepherd's Bush.

I have always had a soft spot for the Pooper-Scoops - they have always reminded me of a west London version of ourselves.

They are a small, family-style, not-too-aggressive club who, like us, have sometimes made it to the top echelons but struggled to stay there.

And one of my prized moments in football comedy was during the 80s when QPR laid an artificial pitch (Astroturf). The expressions of bewilderment on the Palace players' faces as the ball bounced 40ft in the air instead of knee height will always remain with me.

So, in weather more suitable for Saudi camel racing than football, I paid a sensible price (£5 concession for a £10 ticket) and settled down to enjoy the game.

In the first half, we were, frankly, poor and definitely second-best. Wouldn't it have been easier and more productive for AJ to have rounded the keeper and shot rather than diving in the box?

Without going into chapter and verse, a thoroughly deserved deficit of 1-0 at half-time ended in a 3-0 defeat and the best team by far won.

I know, it's only a friendly, blah, blah. But it is very worrying that we could look so indifferent against a team playing in Div 2 a few short months ago. And just think of the teams we have to face in the coming months?

The gleeful Pooper-Scoops were singing "Palace, you're going straight back down..." On the day and on the evidence, it was difficult to disagree.

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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